Commemorating D-Day, honoring dads
I have an amazing video to give away in honor of D-Day. It is called The Americans on D-Day, and would make a wonderful Father’s Day gift for dads or grandpas who are history buffs. It would also be a great addition to anyone’s homeschooling library. This is one of a series of videos produced by a company called Living Battlefield. Their mission is to keep history alive in the minds of younger generations. They’ve produced a variety of interesting videos. There are free clips and lesson plans for teachers and home schoolers.
Do you know much about D-Day? I’ve seen images from the beaches of Omaha and Normandy, but I have to confess that I didn’t have a full understanding of the heroism exhibited on that day until I sat down with my kids and watched ‘The Americans on D-Day”.
If you would like a chance to win a copy of this 44 minute DVD, just comment below and tell me what you know about D-Day. I’d also love to hear if you know someone who fought on D-Day, and whose sacrifice you would like to recognize here. I will be selecting a winner for this DVD on Thursday, which will be shipped out in time for gift-giving on Father’s Day.
I’m with you, I don’t know a lot of details about D-day. I haven’t read much about it and the movies that have been made are too graphic for me. I am so thankful for the men that fought that day and cannot even understand fully the sacrifice that was made there and every other place that our men & women have served. I have a houseful of boys and I know we could all learn a lot from this DVD. Thanks!
My husband did some research in Grad school in Normandy. This would be a wonderful way for him to share that experience with our kids.
My “Uncle” Jack (friend of the family considered a relative) was there on D-Day. It would be a wonderful way to introduce his bravery to our family with this DVD.
I taught a class on WWII this year for our homeschool co-op. It was fascinating. I had the students interview people involved with WWII as part of the class. We all learned so much! Tom Brokaw calls them the “greatest generation” and I have to agree.
I don’t know a whole lot about D-Day (what I did know I have forgotten) But I work at a hospital now, and I used to work at a nursing home, and I know a ton of men who were in the armed services during WWII and some of them who fought at D-Day.
My husband would LOVE to have a D Day video for his dad, who fought for Canada and was actually a part of D Day
Years ago, as part of a school project we were asked to interview and audio tape someone who was in WWII and I so wish I still had the interview I did (badly) with a neighbor who was actually a POW who endured and then walked for miles and miles before being freed. Amazing history.
I have a great admiration and respect for these men that fought for freedom those many years ago. The formidable mission the soldiers faced on that day is just overwhelming. I would like to recognize a dear friend of our myself and family.ETO veteran, Heavy maintenance tank machinist Durwood Brookes. He went from France, Belgium and all the way into German. Keeping American armor going. I asked him about his service and he just told me he had a job to do and did it. Typical of that generation, humility and quiet bravery.
Have a great debt owed to them all.
What I know about D-Day — I’ve learned about it & forgotten too much of it. But my husband loves WWII historical movies/books, and would really love this. It would be a good chance for me to relearn about th heroism of our troops in Normandy.
There is a great book called Masters of the Air by Donald L Miller that give a really different objective of DDay and the “fly boys” in Europe during World War II. Donald Miller really is an interesting writer. It would be great fun to see this movie.
My grandfather didn’t arrive in Normandy on D-Day, but the day after. He was an engineer that went along rebuilding bridges that the Germans blew up in an effort to slow Americans down. My husband would LOVE this video for Father’s Day. He is a huge fan of the HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers” so this would go right along with that.
We love learning about WW2. We hope to visit Normandy within the next year or so.
My husband had a grandpa that served on D-day. The stories that we have from him are amazing.
My Uncle Stan was killed at St. Lo and is buried in the American cemetery with the other brave souls who fell during the invasion. Btw you might find the information on the Army website http://www.army.mil/d-day/ interesting.
My Grandfather served in Germany during World War II. I don’t remember if he was there on D-Day or not.
Um I don’t know nearly enough. Brian would love this, and so would I for teaching the kids.
I did not like history when I was a kid, so am re-learning a lot as I teach my kids. They are only 6 and 8, so we haven’t gotten to that time period yet. I love history shows now, so this would be fun to add to our library.
Because June 6th is my birthday and my name is Deanne (starts with a D) I always thought the day was for me. I remember my dad sitting my down to explain what D-Day was, and I was so honored that I shared my day with D-Day. I’ve shared it with my kids and I would love to have this video to show them, as well as share it with my father.
Certainly don’t know as much as I should about D-Day. In fact, I didn’t even realize it was June 6 until I started reading. I would love to win this DVD, even though I don’t know anyone who actually fought then. Many of my father’s contemporaries were in the military and fought in various places and capacities, but my dad was just a couple of years too young. But I would watch it in honor of my Uncle Carl, and his grandsons JD and Judson, who followed him into the Marine Corps, and be grateful that they were and are willing to fight for my freedom!
I must admit that the HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers” (SO well done by the way and worth owning) was my introduction to D-Day and turned both my husband and me into WWII junkies.
We would love this. Thanks for the chance to win it.
We were actually in France for the 60th anniversary of D-Day. (2004) We watched a long documentary in French about it on TV, and afterwards commented on how interesting it was to get another take on it–we’re taught that America just popped in and won the war, but France sees their own role as much higher, naturally. The next day we happened to be at the dr, and he commented on how good it was that the French be reminded of the enormous role America had played. He got this from the same documentary!!
Also, they flew in several men who had fought at D-Day in Normandy for ceremonies. Aferwards, one old man got lost and missed his bus. When they realized it, he was given a seat on Jacques Chirac’s private plane and given what he called “the best glass of wine he’d ever had in his life.” That was on the news the next day.
We never did make it to Normandy. But my son is a TOTAL ww2 buff, far beyond what is normal, and he would LOVE this. This would be a most awesome bday present for him!
My grandfather, Robert Johnson from Worcester, Massachusetts, was in the 101st Airborne and parachuted onto the beach at Normandy. He was just a young man–not much older than my oldest teenage son. He never talked about his experiences with his family, only with his war buddies at occasional get-togethers, but I do know he earned a Purple Heart. Even though my four boys never had the chance to meet their great-grandfather, they know his story and his memory inspires them to be brave in the face of the unknown. I like to think each of them will carry a piece of their great-grandfather’s courage into their adulthood.
My grandfather was one of the men who prepared to go in on the first wave to Normandy. The night before, they were loading their jeeps on the ships and they had fixed up their mufflers to be able to drive them through deep water and onto the ship. His wouldn’t run in the water, but kept dying. So he was left behind with another battalion. He never saw anyone from his first battalion again. At least that is how he always told it. Our family has always cherished that story and Grandpa’s assertion that it was God’s protection of him. I wish I had been wiser in my young years and listened to more of his stories. Thanks for letting me share.
Oh, I would love this for my husband! It would especially be meaningful because we are financially strapped right now!!! He was a History major and I’m always searching for something new to give him. His father was a paratrooper on D-day with the 82nd Airborne. He died when my husband was 15, so I never got to meet him, but we try hard to tell our children about him and his bravery. My husband retells what his father shared with him with me. It is so fascinating and I wish we had some of his tales on tape for our kids. I wish I had known him.
What a wonderful give away. I do know that D-day was a major turning point in the war. Paving the way for the alliance to finally win the war on the European front.
I don’t know a ton about D-day, but I would love to learn more. My dad was watching “The Longest Day” over Memorial weekend and I was pestering him with all my questions. He had several uncles and extended family members who were there on D-day. How grateful I am to those who were there and fought and especially those who gave their lives so that we have the freedoms we do. My dad and I would both love this movie.
I don’t know a lot about D-Day, but in college I was on a trip to France and Normandy Beach was one of our stops. It was hard to stand on that beach and imagine what had happened there years before. And it was sobering to visit the cemetery and see the row upon row of white crosses.
I sure wish I knew more about D-Day. From the pictures I have seen, I can’t even imagine how our soldiers pushed on. A strong, brave, determined bunch. My son and my grandfather are huge history buffs and would love this.
Thanks for the opportunity
One of my goals this summer is to learn about important events in American History via the History Channel and the Military Channel. I teach American history to 7-8th graders in our local classical school which serves home school students. I have found that when I teach history my students are so informed because they watch the History Channel. This was a wake up call to me and instilled a desire to stay informed through current technology. This video would be perfect for classroom viewing, perhaps. My dad fought in WWII and I love to hear about the era in which he participated. I lost him this year and research like this reminds me of him.
I like what I found about D-day here.
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/assets/pdfs/the-meaning-of-dday-fact.pdf
I know that the world we know today would not be all that it is without the bravery demonstrated on D-day!
While this is probably a great movie, prefer to read about the several wars our country has been part of. Too graphic for this mom of two sons and one daughter-in-law who are active Army and all of them having been in Iraq at one time or other in the last eight years; with one son serving in Iraq for a total time of three years in three different tours.
I personally don’t need to ‘see’ what they have had to endure and the dangers they were in while over there.
And for my children at home, they are disturbed enough when they have to read books for school about any war.
I don’t know much, but my dad LOVES everything WWII-related! (And, some day, it’ll be great to teach my little boys.)
I would LOVE this for my father. Years ago they had a huge re-enactment of D Day for one of the big anniversaries and my father flew over a parachuted in to Normandy as part of it. It was a highlight in his life that he talks of often.
i don’t know a lot about d-day, other than that it was horrific. my husband LOVES wwII history and it would be fun to learn more about d-day together
I will admit I know little about D-Day. I would love to know more about it and share it with my boys. So much of the importance of the war has been swept under the rug and I am concerned the future generations will never understand the sacrifices made to form this country. I read Sarah’s Key this spring and this age of ignorance is vividly portrayed.
I was 15 on D-Day and I always thought the mass parachute drop was at the same beach where the troops came ashore, but they parachuted into 3 small towns in the area, La Fiere, near St. Mere Eglise, Angoville and Carentan Meatius.
My youngest son just got back from the 67th anniversary of D-Day and took part in a reenactment of a 300 man parachute drop into each of those 3 towns.
During The Korean War I was a U S Army photographer and my coverage area was all of France.